Operating hours legally confirmed

After more than a decade of legal disputes, the process for extending operating hours at Dortmund Airport has been finally concluded. On 23 August 2024, the Higher Administrative Court of Münster dismissed the lawsuit lodged by three individuals against the second supplementary permit, thereby confirming its legal validity. The court ruled out an appeal, and with the expiration of the deadline for a complaint of non-admission on 20 December 2024, the case is now conclusively settled.

This establishes that: Dortmund Airport may continue to use the crucial late-night hours for aviation. The current operating hours are as follows:

• Scheduled departures from 06:00 to 22:00; delayed departures until 22:30
• Scheduled landings from 06:00 to 22:00 (+ an average of 4 scheduled landings per day until 23:00); delayed landings until 23:30
• A total of 16 delayed take-offs and landings are permitted each month (further delays require approval from the local air traffic authority).

The debate started in late 2010 when the airport decided to apply for extended operating hours due to rising demand. After the initial approval by the Münster District Government in 2014, multiple court proceedings followed, where identified deficiencies in balancing interests were addressed. With the second supplementary approval in June 2023 and its validation by the Higher Administrative Court of Münster in August 2024, the procedure is now completely resolved.